COSMOGONY IN THE BASHKIR FOLKLORE (Based on materials from recent expeditions)

Abstract

At the present stage, the expedition's folklore materials often contain heavenly bodies - the Sun, the Moon, the stars. The distribution of this type of images was associated with the oldest representations of our ancestors. Since ancient times, people have often been troubled by the question: "Where and from what did it all come about?". The firmament was mastered only by visual perception. The lack of real knowledge was filled with imagination, myths. The mysterious heavenly world has always been perceived as something sacred, inaccessible and has been the object of people's worship. Based on the materials of the expeditions of recent years, myths have been preserved in Bashkir folklore, explaining the origin of the Sun, the donor of light and the life of the entire universe, interesting knowledge about sunrise, sunset, moon, night light, related to the moon's profit and loss, eclipse. Stories about the appearance of the stars are also preserved in the people. People always watched the movement, the state of heavenly bodies, they were always surrounded by mystery. The veneration of heavenly bodies is also observed in various beliefs, prohibitions, parallels are reflected in everyday customs and traditions.

Keywords

• bashkir folklore
• cosmogony
• expedition
• myth
• rite
• sun
• moon
• stars.